Conscious Leadership Blog

Developing Leaders and Cultural Organizations that Empower, Inspire,
and Encourage everyone to THRIVE

By Travis Thomas

• Simple Leadership: Throw Away Every Leadership Book You’ve Ever ReadAugust 12, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’re looking to optimize your team and build a word-class culture in your organization that encourages, empowers, and inspires every individual to THRIVE. Leadership Fail: Leading with your Ego: You’re allowing the pressures and goals that you’ve set for yourself and your organizationContinue reading “Simple Leadership: Throw Away Every Leadership Book You’ve Ever Read”
• Conscious Leadership – How Transformational Leaders Create Teams That Enjoy Healthy ConflictAugust 5, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Like many other aspects of life, teamwork comes down to mastering a set of behaviors that are at once theoretically uncomplicated but extremely difficult to put into practice day after day, time, and time again. The “Never Slow Down Business Model” is drivingContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Transformational Leaders Create Teams That Enjoy Healthy Conflict”
• Conscious Leadership – Five Quick Tips Transformational Thought Leaders Focus On DailyJuly 29, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: When we sit down with senior executive leadership team members, we quickly learn that ensuring mission, vision, and values align makes it much easier to achieve personal and company goals. This prioritized order of focus will guarantee success every time… Purpose, People, Pace,Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – Five Quick Tips Transformational Thought Leaders Focus On Daily”
• Conscious Leadership – Why the “Junkyard Dog” Management Styles Have PassedJuly 22, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: I’m reminded daily [working within different organizations] there is more than just one pandemic around the globe. The pandemic I don’t think many acknowledge is junkyard dog management styles; always create toxic work cultures. What’s alarming is that many reading this article don’tContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Why the “Junkyard Dog” Management Styles Have Passed”
• Conscious Leadership – When Our Ego Wants to Stop Us From Supporting Someone Leaving Our TeamJuly 15, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’ve got a big vision for your company (usually established by your Board of Directors), and you’re building a world-class organization by attracting and onboarding one high performer at a time. The heavy lift to get these individuals onto your team seems gruelingContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – When Our Ego Wants to Stop Us From Supporting Someone Leaving Our Team”
• Conscious Leadership – Quick Tips to Develop the Highest Communication Levels With Your TeamsJuly 1, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’ve got a big vision for your company (usually established by your Board of Directors), and you’re building a team to get you there. When your senior executive team gathers, there’s bound to be some misunderstanding. No matter how hard you work orContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Quick Tips to Develop the Highest Communication Levels With Your Teams”
• Conscious Leadership – The War for Talent is Over (Talent Won!)June 24, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: The war for talent is over… and talent won – now what? We’re now operating in a candidate-led hiring market. Now, what will your company do to attract and onboard the highest performers in the marketplace? What does your retention strategy look like?Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – The War for Talent is Over (Talent Won!)”
• Conscious Leadership Blog – Open Letter to Companies Who Continue to Make Bad HiresJune 17, 2021
  I believe hiring is an intelligence, not a routine. Conscious Leadership Scenario: When was the last time you looked at your hiring practice as something other than a box to check or a process to get through (reviewing resumes and panel interviews)? In 2021, why areContinue reading “Conscious Leadership Blog – Open Letter to Companies Who Continue to Make Bad Hires”
• Conscious Leadership – Four Sources That Will Cause Executive Leadership to FailJune 10, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Roughly half of new executive transitions are considered failures within two years- but why? I’ve coached hundreds of struggling executives over my career, and almost every time, their failure is a surprise. The story usually goes something like this: They’ve been high performersContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Four Sources That Will Cause Executive Leadership to Fail”
• Conscious Leadership – How to Connect with Your Team Through Your HeartJune 2, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’re faced with a turnaround situation in your organization. This troubled department is struggling. The morale in this division is very low. Do you slow down to figure out why the morale is low, and goals aren’t being met, let alone aren’t beingContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How to Connect with Your Team Through Your Heart”
• Conscious Leadership – The Top 1% [Elite] Leaders Don’t Make This Mistake TwiceMay 27, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Several critical boxes need to be checked if you desire to be a transformational senior executive (Elite Top 1%): leading people, strategic planning, inspiring commitment, managing change, and employee development. Yes, there will be mistakes (learning lessons) along the journey; it’s the onlyContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – The Top 1% [Elite] Leaders Don’t Make This Mistake Twice”
• Conscious Leadership – How to Build Effective Lines of Communication Between Senior Executive Teams and BoardMay 20, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Communication is a simple skill (observable language – self-awareness and social regulation). But in the corporate governance world, it’s shocking how many boards and CEOs fail to harness this seemingly intuitive trait — particularly when working together. Working together is the “end goal”Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – How to Build Effective Lines of Communication Between Senior Executive Teams and Board”
• Conscious Leadership – Learn How to Be a Confident Conscious Leader in Uncertain TimesMay 12, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: In our decades of work with CEOs, we’ve seen many extraordinary and impressive business strategies. But what we rarely see is a CEO who has all the people they need to carry it out. In fact, we often see downright panic when it comes to the question of talentContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Learn How to Be a Confident Conscious Leader in Uncertain Times”
• Conscious Leadership – Another Pandemic: Fear-Based LeadershipApril 21, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: I’m reminded daily [while working within organizations] that there is more than just one pandemic around the globe. The pandemic many don’t acknowledge is junkyard dog management styles – always creating toxic work cultures. What’s alarming is that many reading this article don’tContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Another Pandemic: Fear-Based Leadership”
• Conscious Leadership – Harboring Underperformer(s) Or Management Not Effectively Communicating?April 7, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Harboring Underperformers is a common term that is used loosely in the corporate world. Loosely means a mystery bag that exalts us (manager/employer) from doing the deep work – comprehension is the responsibility of management. I’ve learned over the years of assisting seniorContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Harboring Underperformer(s) Or Management Not Effectively Communicating?”
• Conscious Leadership – When Our “I” Becomes “We”March 26, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: What matters most isn’t the personalities or behavior of the team members; it’s whether a team has a clear direction, a strong structure, and a supportive context. Over the years, as teams have grown more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic, collaboration has becomeContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – When Our “I” Becomes “We””
• Conscious Leadership – How Transformational Leaders Get Their Team Back on TrackMarch 22, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: About half of new executive transitions are considered failures within two years. But why? I’ve coached hundreds of struggling executives over the years and almost every time their failure is a surprise. The story usually goes something like this: they’ve been high performersContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Transformational Leaders Get Their Team Back on Track”
• Conscious Leadership – Quick Tips on How Transformational Leaders Gain Commitment From Their TeamMarch 18, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Like so many other aspects of life, teamwork comes down to mastering a set of behaviors that are at once theoretically uncomplicated but extremely difficult to put into practice day after day, time, and time again. The “Never Slow Down Business Model” isContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Quick Tips on How Transformational Leaders Gain Commitment From Their Team”
• Conscious Leadership – How Visionary Thought Leaders Earn Their Team’s TrustFebruary 4, 2021
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Like so many other aspects of life, Teamwork comes down to mastering a set of behaviors that are at once theoretically uncomplicated but extremely difficult to put into practice day after day. Time and time again. The “Never Slow Down Business Model” drivesContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Visionary Thought Leaders Earn Their Team’s Trust”
• Conscious Leadership – Harboring Underperformer[s] Or Management Not Effectively Communicating?December 30, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Harboring Underperformers is a common term that is used loosely in the corporate world. Loosely means a mystery bag that exalts us (manager/employer) from doing the deep work – comprehension is the responsibility of management. I’ve learned over the years of assisting SeniorContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Harboring Underperformer[s] Or Management Not Effectively Communicating?”
• Conscious Leadership – How Successful Conscious Leaders Overcome ResistanceDecember 10, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’re well on the way to achieving your organizational goal through an extremely thought out vision, but something unexpected happens (imagine that). A cost overrun or a production delay. Vendors and Suppliers are confused. Customers become unhappy. Employees start complaining as the problemsContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Successful Conscious Leaders Overcome Resistance”
• Conscious Leadership – Manage Your Emotions and Rise to a Highly Effective Conscious LeaderDecember 2, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’ve got a big vision for your company (usually established by your Board of Directors), and you’re building a team to achieve these lofty goals. First, you must learn to tap into your emotional guidance and be aware that these emotions have differentContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Manage Your Emotions and Rise to a Highly Effective Conscious Leader”
• Conscious Leadership – Quick Tools to Get Rid of Toxic Work CulturesOctober 15, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: I’m reminded daily [working within organizations] that there is more than just one pandemic around the globe. The pandemic I don’t think many acknowledge is toxic work cultures. Cultures where employees keep an updated resume in their office drawer/zip file. Fear breeds complicity,Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – Quick Tools to Get Rid of Toxic Work Cultures”
• Conscious Leadership – Transformational Leader or Creating Job Misery?September 24, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: My experience tells me there is a significant amount of misery in the global workforce [mental health pandemic]. More Senior Executives are miserable in their jobs than fulfilled by their work environment which trickles into their personal lives. This misery starts from theContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Transformational Leader or Creating Job Misery?”
• Conscious Leadership – PART FIVE: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is WhySeptember 10, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: PART FOUR of Why You Will Never Be a Great Leader addressed the foundation of what every great team must face, Avoidance of Accountability. [you can find PART FOUR in our archived library] Like so, many other aspects of life, teamwork comes downContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – PART FIVE: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is Why”
• Conscious Leadership – Unmasking TalentSeptember 8, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: How important is it to have a reliable way to reveal the true potential of an individual before you hire them? How important is it to reliably forecast performance and job-fit of an external candidate based on their talent set? Senior leadership teamsContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Unmasking Talent”
• Conscious Leadership – PART FOUR: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is WhySeptember 2, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: PART THREE of Why You Will Never Be a Great Leader addressed the foundation of what every great team must face, Lack of Commitment. [you can find PART THREE in our archived library] Like many other aspects of life, teamwork comes down toContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – PART FOUR: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is Why”
• Conscious Leadership – PART THREE: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is WhyAugust 26, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: PART TWO of Why You Will Never Be a Great Leader addressed the foundation of every great team-fear of Conflict [you can find PART TWO in our archived library] Like many other aspects of life, teamwork comes down to mastering a set ofContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – PART THREE: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is Why”
• Conscious Leadership – PART TWO: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is WhyAugust 11, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: PART ONE of why you will never be a great leader addressed the foundation of every great team-absence of trust. Read PART ONE first, if you have not already. Like in many other aspects of life, teamwork comes down to mastering a setContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – PART TWO: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here is Why”
• Conscious Leadership – The High Growth Talent ConundrumJuly 31, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Venture capital funding has been driving the innovation engine in high-tech for decades, now with hundreds of high growth businesses being catapulted out of the machine. The rate of change in these businesses is astounding, with rapid changes in maturity on a monthlyContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – The High Growth Talent Conundrum”
• Conscious Leadership – PART ONE: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here Is WhyJuly 30, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Like so, many other aspects of life, teamwork comes down to mastering a set of behaviors that are at once theoretically uncomplicated but extremely difficult to put into practice day after day. Time and time again. The “Never Slow Down Business Model” isContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – PART ONE: You Will Never Be a Great Leader, Here Is Why”
• Conscious Leadership – How Transformational Leaders Re-engage Disengaged Team MembersJuly 23, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Disengaged employees are not lost causes. If you employ just one or two of the tactics I’ve listed below; you will stand a far greater chance of developing a staff base that is emotionally engaged, creative, and unafraid to make their voices heard-Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Transformational Leaders Re-engage Disengaged Team Members”
• Conscious Leadership – How to Create an Organization That Promotes Innovation, Learning, and GrowthJuly 15, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: “No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” Growth in organizations today is driven by ideas and ingenuity. People must bring their wholehearted self to work and collaborate with each other to solve problemsContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How to Create an Organization That Promotes Innovation, Learning, and Growth”
• Conscious Leadership – Character + 3 Ingredients That Ensure a Leader Is EffectiveJuly 8, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: The sum of virtues, values, and traits equals good character, which in addition to competence and commitment is one of the three ingredients that ensure a leader is effective and has gained respect from his team. For many senior executives, however, virtues, values,Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – Character + 3 Ingredients That Ensure a Leader Is Effective”
• Conscious Leadership – How Character is Extremely Critical to Transformational LeadersJuly 2, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Are we only concerned about a leader’s character when it affects us financially? The current parade of scandals and setbacks that we are currently facing might suggest that we are. We might like to think that personality will carry the leader even whenContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Character is Extremely Critical to Transformational Leaders”
• Conscious Leadership – Do They Follow You Because They Feel Your Heartbeat or Fear Your Sword?June 26, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: The Top Transformational leaders ask themselves this question each week, “If I was stripped of my title…” The politics of leadership – the power to punish and reward people. Would they still follow me? Would I still get results from them? Leadership Fail: WeContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Do They Follow You Because They Feel Your Heartbeat or Fear Your Sword?”
• Conscious Leadership – Effective Communication with Your Team Through Your HeartJune 17, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario You’re faced with a turnaround situation in your organization. This troubled department is struggling. The morale in this division is very low. Do you slow down to figure out why the morale is low, and goals are being met, let alone aren’t beingContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Effective Communication with Your Team Through Your Heart”
• Conscious Leadership – How Successful Conscious Leaders Overcome ResistanceJune 11, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’re well on the way to achieving your organizational goal through an extremely thought out vision, but something unexpected happens (imagine that). A cost overrun or a production delay. Vendors and suppliers are confused. Customers become unhappy. Employees start complaining as the problemsContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How Successful Conscious Leaders Overcome Resistance”
• Conscious Leadership – How to Be a Confident and Conscious Leader in Uncertain TimesMay 29, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: In our decades of work with CEOs, we’ve seen many extraordinary and impressive business strategies. But what we rarely see? A CEO who has all the people they need to carry it out. In fact, we often see downright panic when it comes to the question of talent management, especiallyContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – How to Be a Confident and Conscious Leader in Uncertain Times”
• Conscious Leadership – Senior Executive Communication in a “Never Enough” SocietyMay 21, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: You’ve got a big vision for your company (usually established by your Board of Directors), and you’re building a team to get you there. But when your Senior Executive team gathers, there’s bound to be some misunderstanding. No matter how hard you work,Continue reading “Conscious Leadership – Senior Executive Communication in a “Never Enough” Society”
• Conscious Leadership– Life Is Too Short for Bad Organizational CultureMay 15, 2020
  It’s all lip service until you develop, implement, and execute on a strategy Conscious Leadership Scenario: We spend a third of our adult lives at work. So, it’s no surprise that organizational culture matters deeply. 75.3% of senior executive leaders site culture as their main driver to pursue other organizations. Leadership Fail:Continue reading “Conscious Leadership– Life Is Too Short for Bad Organizational Culture”
• Conscious Leadership–There Is No Crying in Baseball nor Executive Leadership… Yes, There Is and That’s FineMay 5, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: About half of new executive transitions are considered failures within two years- but why? I’ve coached hundreds of struggling executives over the years, and almost every time, their failure is a surprise. The story usually goes something like this: They’ve been high performersContinue reading “Conscious Leadership–There Is No Crying in Baseball nor Executive Leadership… Yes, There Is and That’s Fine”
• Conscious Leadership – Mismatch of Current Talent and Future StrategiesApril 30, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: Business strategies are accelerating quickly. Digital technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics are all changing how we do business. These dramatic changes often force today’s leaders to be more reflective of where a business has been than where it’s going. As a result, theContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Mismatch of Current Talent and Future Strategies”
• Conscious Leadership – Harboring Under-PerformersApril 21, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: We witness harboring under-performers all around; from the Executive Teams, to C-suite leadership, all the way to the Board Room. The threshold for uncertainty varies from company to company, but always has a negative impact. It’s always interesting to see how long itContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Harboring Under-Performers”
• COVID-19 Back to Work IntegrationApril 15, 2020
  Conscious Leadership Scenario: COVID-19 Quarantine will eventually come to an end and we will need to integrate back to our normal work environment. What does this integration look like? Leadership Failure: Demanding all employees report back to work after COVID-19 quarantine ends. Adverse Effect on CultureContinue reading “COVID-19 Back to Work Integration”
• Conscious Leadership – IntroductionApril 13, 2020
  I’ve been fortunate to spend my entire career submerged in all different types of leadership… junky leadership. I am talking and interacting with transformational leaders around the globe on a daily basis. I’ve watched leadership fail and I’ve watched leaders shine in the darkest moments. WeContinue reading “Conscious Leadership – Introduction”

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